7th Pay Commission likely to recommend for abolishing 18 closed holidays (Gazetted Holidays) for Central Government Employees and to recommend for 3 Days National Holidays

The Seventh Pay Commission is expected to reward the central government by its recommendation on abolishing 18 days gazetted holidays and to provide three days national holidays to central government employees to reform the work culture in central government offices.

Pay commission sources said the number of holidays should come down to improve work culture.

The sources also added, “A survey has revealed that India has the highest number of gazetted holidays per year and close on her heels are her Asian neighbours like Philippines, China, Hong Kong, Malaysia. We need to cut down on holidays to facilitate more work culture.”

The sources argued that the government offices worked only for 196 days in India in a year. Besides, whenever there was election, the government servants were pressed into election work. This affected the routine government business, sources contended.

Earlier, the sixth central pay commission recommended that central government offices should remain closed only on three national holidays (Republic Day, Independence Day and Mahatma Gandhi Jayanti) and all other gazetted holidays should be abolished and the number of restricted holidays (optional) depending on one’s religious persuasion should be increased from two to eight days.

The Seventh Central Pay Commission is also likely to make suggestion for flexible work hours for women and employees with disabilities.

Flexible working gives them greater choice over when and where they work, allowing them to better manage their work-life balance

“As flexi working hours will allow women central government employees to strike a balance between her professional and family responsibility, maintain healthy lifestyles and contribute to parenting well, it is recommended for the same and urge upon the government to work out the modalities in this direction,” the pay panel source said.

“Flexible working can also provide central government employees with disabilities with a ‘bridge’ into retirement. Many of surveys show that often the complete loss of professional work account of disability can leave employees with disabilities feeling depressed and unmotivated, even to the point of affecting mental health. Flexible working time can help employees with disabilities delay retirement without giving up too much of their hard-earned freedom.” said an official.